Bratva's Secret Girl (Obsessed Bratva Bosses, #1) by Evie Rose Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I have been in a reading slump for far too long and despite me saying I would read more literary fiction this month, I once again find myself in the throws of mafia romances. I am such a sucker for an age gap romance, and when presented with one that includes some more-than-toxic tendencies, I simply cannot resist the temptation. However, the excitement was short-lived with this novella, and I found myself less-than entertained as I flew through Hayley and Maxim's story. While my expectations were not through the roof, I was hoping this novella would be more captivating, but instead it fell flat and while I was able to speed right through it, I was left unsatisfied.

The writing felt juvenile - sentences were not well-structured and the entire thing read like an early Wattpad publication. If you are looking for a novella with plot, abandon ship now - the author chose smut over plot lines in this novella, and even calling it smut is overstepping in my opinion. The "erotic" scenes were nothing short of the bare basics when it comes to what should be included in dark romance, and none of them read well enough to have my jaw on the floor. The scenes felt as though they were somehow supposed to push Hayley and Maxim's story forward, but instead made it feel like Hayley was this naive little girl when she is an adult.

Maxim's characterization, at first, seemed like everything that I wanted in a male lead - that was quickly shattered when any of the anticipation of him wanting Hayley was bypassed by the author in favor in going straight into the story with Maxim and Hayley having a more formal working relationship. I was hoping for some raw tension, and instead I was presented with Maxim, the rough and tough mafia man, counting cash in a money laundering front in order to spend time with Hayley. It would have read much better if he had honestly was stalking her to at least give some darker undertones to their relationship rather than basically make them friends from the beginning.

If you are looking for a quick little tale to make you move from one book to the next, this novella provides enough pages to get you back into the flow of things. If you are looking for something with a little more meat on its bones, you can pass on this story.

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Wicked Heir (Chernov Bratva, #1) by Mila Kane Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

As I sit down to write this review I kid you not, I cannot remember the male lead's name for the life of me - that is how unmemorable this book was to me. Kiril, my man, you are incredibly forgetful and low-key a horrible little mafia leader. The entire book I was begging him to get hit on the head in the hopes that he would suddenly gain knowledge and wisdom in order to actually do one thing that would make him worthy of being in the mafia. When the man takes roughly seven years to put a plan in motion, I am not cowering in fear of his capabilities - any woman would be able to accomplish what he planned in two days flat. Boring!! Lazy!!

Mallory has the survival instincts of a squirrel with no brain matter. She literally just lets everything happen to her and then whines about it for the entire book, in addition to being incredibly naive and not being able to put two and two together. She is just SO thrilled to see Kiril after all these years and does not do a DROP of investigating or asking around on why he is at the club that all these nasty guys go to... like girl... use your brain! Genuinely one of the most infuriating female leads I have come across in my time as a reader, and as an avid fan of mafia romance, she just gets added to a long list of female leads that are as useful as a bag of rocks.

Boring, boring, boring "friends" to "enemies" to "lovers" that was drier than the desert. There was potential from the summary for this book to amount to something more exciting and lean heavily into the mafia romance genre, but it continued to fall flat and instead felt like a poorly written stalker romance. Kiril basically had to make a choice and ends up in the bratva, and if the author had leaned into him being more "scary" than he was in the book, maybe I would have rated this higher and enjoyed his character more. If you have the time to spare and do not care to waste your minutes of life on reading this, I would still recommend to look the other way and find something else to read.

Mallory literally does not care what Kiril does to her because she literally always forgives him in two seconds flat and continues to run around saying "you didn't hurt me!" as a justification. Girl, he is walking all over you and you are not even putting up a fight! It was mortifying as a woman reading this to see her not even successfully attempt a way to get her into a better situation. There were so many times where I was wishing they would be put in more dangerous situations just so she could get some sense knocked into her and realize that this is not just a game. Kiril's methods to keeping Mallory to himself were so low-effort that I was surprised he even managed to keep her in one place for longer than five minutes.

If you are looking for a mafia romance, go ahead and pass on this one. Sure, it could be a filler book in between your true TBR, but I honestly would not go back and read this again. Since this is a duet, I may find myself in the very far future seeing it to its end, but for now, this story and its characters are closed to me.

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Ruthless Arrangement (Gallo Famiglia Series, #1) by Brooke Summers Review

This is a spoiler-free review! Please read trigger warnings - reader discretion is advised.

My past discretions from a Stuff Your Kindle day downloading haze have come back to bite me. I genuinely felt like I was being put through the wringer while reading this book - every single turn of the page ended up with Teagan being smacked around or abused, or someone literally not taking the time of day to understand that this girl is traumatized!! The author describes a number of abuses she endures in graphic detail, and considering she made it out alive is an achievement in itself. I wish it did not take until being two thirds into the book to really see how she was dealing with everything that she had to go through when she was living with the Dirty Demons. 

Elio as the male lead made me want to scream externally into the sky - there was not a single thing he did that made me want to root for him except for the fact that he had Teagan go to therapy. That is the only nice thing he ever did for her that actually warranted a good reaction out of me. The entirety of their relationship is based on the fact that her father wrong him and his family, and he seeks revenge by taking Teagan and forcing her to be his bride. The girl has never left the house in over eighteen years and somehow Elio thinks this is the perfect torture for her - she literally has only ever known torture and abuse, so this ends up being just another Tuesday for her, trapped with a mob family and revenge-obsessed Elio.

I did not love the glamorization of Elio and Teagan's relationship at all. It felt as though he was keeping her as a sex slave - which he basically was - and using her as a toy. Sure, his plan all along was to basically torture this girl for the rest of her days, so why would he treat her with any form of respect? Even his entire family was like dude what are you getting out of doing this to a girl who does not even know the extent of what her father did outside of what he allowed people to do to her? The brothers were much more enjoyable to read about when they appeared on page, and even the two friends Teagan had made before being "taken" by Elio were better entertainment than the man himself.

The most intriguing plot line of this entire book was when Teagan was being sought out by another mob family - it provided actual stakes to the game and showed the dangers that waited for her outside of Elio's home, even though Elio's home was basically a danger in its own right. Those scenes of Teagan being pulled between two rival families were the only times that I was actually locked into the book - I frankly did not care about her and Elio's relationship because I simply could not stand Elio at all. Even when he was "turning a corner" and realized what he was putting Teagan through was wrong, it still left a sour taste in my mouth. Maybe it is because the book is not marketed as taboo and instead just a dark mafia romance - if it was something they were both into from the start, then my opinion may have ended differently. The set up for the next book has me intrigued - I may find myself back into this series if the timing presents itself.

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God of Fury (Legacy of Gods, #5) by Rina Kent Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews of God of Malice, God of Pain, God of Wrath, and God of Ruin on my blog, now! Reader discretion is advised.

Nikolai is YOUNGER than Brandon??? How did I miss this??? Also immediately throwing us back into the initiation night.. oh how I have been waiting for this moment since God of Malice. Rina Kent's tendency to describe the family trees and two schools at the beginning of every single one of the books in this series is starting to get on my nerves, but it is understandable if someone is reading these as stand alones and not as a series. This is the first time reading this series where I did not go crazy when the parent perspectives were brought up - I actually enjoyed them this time.

Someone needs to protect Brandon at all costs - the man is going through it constantly and is plagued with so much every day, and it feels as though he is the one that everyone expects to keep it together. Watching his inner turmoil fester and grow was heartbreaking. He is going through a sexuality realization and dealing with a ton of mental health issues, while trying to understand Nikolai's actions towards him and accept some form of love from someone who unexpectedly came into his life. We get to see a lot of different sides of Brandon throughout this book - more than just his video game playing with Mia and the occasional appearance next to Landon and Glyndon at family gatherings.

Nikolai is literally one of the funniest characters I have come across - every single thing that came out of his mouth had me rolling on the floor. I genuinely was cackling at some of the things he said, and his inner monologue was just as hilarious. "That would be crazy. Just kidding, I am crazy." is one of the earliest lines from Nikolai and it truly sets the tone for his entire attitude for the book. I used to bag on him in the other books for being completely unhinged, but finally getting to see what goes on inside his head makes everything make so much sense. He is very much aware that he has psychopathic tendencies and fully embraces them - he is honestly surprised when people do not resort to the type of violence that is his first reaction.

The smut is in this book.. insane. I thought Rina would not be able to top God of Ruin's levels of craziness, but Nikolai and Brandon take it to a whole new level - they are beating each other up and off - the duality of man! I know I said God of Wrath was the best of the series when I first read it, but good grief God of Fury definitely takes the cake. There were sentences in this book that truly had my mouth on the floor and had me doing laps around my apartment - Nikolai is already unhinged on a regular basis, but put him and Brandon together and it unleashes an entirely new animal. He is definitely the one that adds to the craziness of all of those scenes, considering Brandon is more on the reserved side - that does not mean that Brandon does not get down and dirty, literally and figuratively.

Brandon's internal struggles play a major role in the way he views himself and how he approaches his relationship with Nikolai. We see from Nikolai's perspective how confused he gets when Brandon's emotions and personality suddenly shift when he feels cornered or is confronted by a past trauma. I was literally sick to my stomach reading what he has been through, and readers bear witness to his struggles in a first-hand account in his perspective, along with Nikolai's reactions and attempts to understand what is going on with Brandon. Brandon and Landon's relationship as twins definitely grows and expands in this book, and considering their past qualms with one another, it was nice to see them actually work through things and become closer - as a twin, I cannot imagine not being close with my sister.

This is the fifth installment in this series and yet I am constantly still surprised by the way that nineteen-year-old Nikolai speaks and the things that come out of nearly every character's mouths - who taught y'all to speak like this!! I am sure that if I finally venture out and actually read all of their parents' books, I will clearly find my answering in those works. Considering God of War is the final piece in this series, I am intrigued to see where Kent takes us next with Eli and Ava - they have been relatively absent from this series other than the occasional mentioning, but just by taking a look at the summary, I know I will be in for a treat.

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A Debt to Repay (Lured to the Mob, #1) by Stacey Ortel Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

Y'all I was once again lured into a free mafia romance from Stuff Your Kindle Day and I will once again be questioning why I pick up some of these books. Whoever allowed to go to print should be jailed - was an editor involved?? The story is choppy and full of confusing character choices - the allure of the age gap romance was what definitely made me download this, but good grief it was only ever mentioned once or twice and did not even play a role in the main plot of this book. If I was Clara, I would have sold my dad out so fast, it would not have even been a question. He continues to put her in danger and is shocked when his actions have consequences that directly affect her - newsflash buddy, you mess with the mob, they mess with your family!

Sure, kidnapping someone may just be a regular Tuesday in a mob family, but how was no one questioning the kidnapping of a twenty-year-old student who clearly was there against her will? I love a good kidnapping trope, but make it believable and make the girl at least struggle a little bit before becoming besties with the entire family - it felt as though there was nothing at stake internally with the Ricci family. That being said, the other mob family was a lot "scarier" than the Riccis, and that plot point was the most intriguing to read. You could actually tell there was something on the line for Clara when Roberto would show up, unlike Antonio who was just not all that exciting to me.

This is a super quick read and honestly it went by so fast I felt as though I forgot the entire thing by the time it ended - there was not enough time to truly get to know the characters and form any type of attachment to them. I was also under the impression that this was a series following one couple, not a duology (possibly a series?) that is made up of interconnected stand alones. The super rushed ending definitely is explained by that set up, but it causes readers to lose out on seeing a more fleshed out relationship between Clara and Antonio. Antonio's character seems very one-dimensional and I did not feel drawn to him at all - he is quick to accuse and quick to judge - maybe if he joined Clara at college and took Communication 101 he would have avoided every bad thing that happened in this book.

I am glad that I finished this book so quickly, because if it took up any more of my time, I would have begged a genie to give the minutes spent reading this back to me. If you are looking for something low stakes and just a quick filler book in between reading larger books, this may be for you. If you are looking for a book that will make you attached to its characters, then this is definitely a pass.

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Tease Me Once (Shame on You, #1) by Willow Winters Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews for other works by Willow Winters on my blog, now - Do You Want Me?, It's Our Secret, and A Single Glance.

I am no stranger to W. Winters, and with a number of their works available for free on iBooks and Kindle, it makes an easy choice to continue to dive into yet another series. Maybe one day I will actually finish one instead of only reading the first installment as a filler book - this book certainly makes a case for that hope. Declan and Braelynn share a history that is seemingly glossed over a number of times throughout this book - Braelynn mentions through her internal dialogue and to her close friend that she knows Declan from "before" but we never see how they were actually connected, unless I somehow managed to miss that. I would have loved some more explanation or even flashback chapters from Declan or Braelynn's perspective to understand how entangled they are and what the tension they share is from.

Braelynn is too easily convinced of, well, everything - she trusts easily, which I found odd, considering her past, and seemingly falls into a number of inopportune scenarios that would have been completely avoidable had she either paid attention or minded her business. I wanted her to use common sense so bad throughout this book that I was willing to donate some of my brain cells to the cause. She eventually smarted up at one point, but I still wish she was aware of what was going on around her - she needed to lock in and realize that she cannot trust everyone in her life, especially when it seems too good to be true.

Declan... good lord. The author should have given us some background on him - clearly we get the face value details of him and his brothers, but still no exploration into why he is the way he is or why he is into the things he is. I will say that he is an effective communicator and actually sits down with Braelynn explaining to her that she needs to be very clear with him about what she wants and what she does or does not like - he is not good at reading people and needs her confirmation before moving on with more delicate matters.

The spice was going wild in this book - definitely on the more extreme end of dark romance and juicy, I ate it up. Some of it was a little out of pocket considering Declan basically threw Braelynn into the relationship and only asked her if she was willing to do whatever he said - she basically nodded her head and then was in the middle of an intense BDSM relationship without even knowing what she signed up for. And I say "signed up for" in the lightest of terms given they did not even talk about anything before launching into this relationship. Declan is a wild man and Braelynn just does not know what to do, so she seems to go along with anything that anyone tells her to do.

Looking at the mafia plot - I will be honest, it felt like a little bit of a mess. Declan and his brothers are clearly involved in some super shady stuff, and readers are exposed to much more than Braelynn ever saw. However, it did not feel finished and Declan's involvement felt unpolished to me - it would have been interesting to see more of his leadership and what he has done to get to this position. I know there are more books to get through, but considering this is our introduction to the character, it would have been helpful information in case it influenced his character.

With an ending like that, I will be continuing on with this series in order to see what in the word Braelynn has gotten herself into. I can only imagine the tomfoolery that she allowed to happen right under her nose, and considering Declan is not a forgiving man, I know she has a world of punishment in her future. You can read this series in its three installments, or in its complete work, Only for Him.

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The Devil's Bargain (Deal with the Devil, #1) by Carin Hart Review

This is a spoiler-free review! A list of content warnings is available at the beginning of the book.

Man... I do not even know what this book was. As soon as I started reading it, I realized I had seen little blurbs of this book all over TikTok a long time ago, and since this was a Stuff Your Kindle download, I can only imagine it had its moment with BookTok. That being said, the blurbs and summaries of this book definitely will draw the reader in, but unfortunately they will be drawn into a trap that they cannot escape. I felt very disoriented while reading this book, mostly because there is a preface explaining that the male lead has been obsessed with the female lead for fifteen years, and then we are just thrown right into the story. A touch of background information would have been greatly appreciated, but with how quickly this book moves, it feels like a drop in the bucket when it comes to the issues I had with this book.

Every single time that Ava would think about her and Link's past when they were teenagers/early twenties, I felt as though my eyes were going to roll to the back of my head and out of my ears. Girl, what were you thinking!! Not a single brain cell graced her head when she was younger, and unfortunately it seems she never gained any new ones as an adult. Ava was so quick to accept the fact that Link basically demanded that she become his bride and simply did not question it. Please remember that they have not seen each other in years - I needed her to get a grip. On Link's end... boy, you have got to let a girl go, especially with thirteen years of not speaking to her. But sure, stalk and keep track of her, I am sure that will get her on your side.

I literally read 276 pages of this book in an hour - it goes by so fast and you are felt as if this book could have been an email. I quite literally had one chapter left before the book ended and I could not bring myself to read this in a single sitting solely because I could not believe I was putting myself through this. Link and Ava's relationship feels like he is literally holding her hostage and she literally does not care at all. The "spice" in this book - if you could even call it that - was tame at best, but it felt like Link was constantly putting Ava in precarious situations and I did not love that one bit. Every single time he went to do something crazy with her, it would be justified with "she let me do this to her when we were teenagers" - okay, so y'all were dumb then and y'all are dumb now.

All I wanted to do was sit in the sun and read a book after work - this book made me feel like I should have gone to a Barry's bootcamp class instead, as that would have been less painful than reading this book. And to be quite honest, even though I clearly did not enjoy myself while reading this, I will probably read the other books solely to see if any improvement is ever made with this series. I typically find it so incredibly hard to give one star reviews - so much so that I have only given one other book such a distinction - but this rating was unfortunately far too easy to give.

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Relentless Pursuit (Boneless Redemption Duet, #2) by Isabella Alexander Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of Forbidden Obsession on my blog, now!

I told myself I needed to see how this duet ended despite my original feelings for the first installment. Penelope and Dominic's relationship was nothing short of interesting and complicated... and after the end of Forbidden Obsession, I could not even imagine their relationship ever working out in the long run. They have so many issues and even more secrets from one another, one can only see their relationship going downhill one month into anything serious. 

This final installment was filled with mediocre spicy scenes and juvenile writing that had me questioning the dialogue every other page. I had my qualms with the first book, and I truly thought that there would be some form of improvement to see this duet through -- unfortunately, that was not the case. Penelope is just as naive as she was in the first book, and Dominic is just as irrational and territorial as I remember. When they are not in bed together, they are keeping secrets from one another or trying to get the upper hand to satisfy their own agendas.

The "twists" in this book were incredibly predictable and the pacing is so rushed, it feels as though obstacles pop up on one page and then get immediately resolved within the next two pages. I wish the story improved as the book progressed, but the plot was essentially at a stalemate for me - I could see everything coming from a mile away, and since I was not particularly attached to Penelope and Dominic's relationship, I frankly did not care what happened to them. To echo my statement from my Forbidden Obsession review, I once again felt like I was being held hostage when I was reading this book.

With underdeveloped lead characters and a storyline that has taken more turns than necessary, Alexander's duet leaves the reader feeling jolted around as they attempt to make sense of every decision a character made. I wish I had more positive things to say about this book, but I was left incredibly underwhelmed and to be honest, grateful once it was finally over. It is a very quick read, so if you are looking for a duet that you can fly through, it may be up your alley.

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God of Pain (Legacy of Gods, #2) by Rina Kent Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of God of Malice on my blog, now!

My TikTok For You Page has been harassing me to continue on with this series, and I have finally succumbed to the constant onslaught of videos. I love a good dark college romance, but it actually cracks me up that these twenty-year-old boys think they are the scariest individuals to walk the planet... like you are glorified frat boys at best. It will never fail to make me laugh when the male lead of the book claims he terrorizes their university campus and it turns out that they are not even legal drinking age in the United States.

Annika is out here locked in the Heathens mansion during initiation, meanwhile everyone and their mother is out there either terrorizing freshmen or somehow finding their soulmate. That does not stop her from having some...fun...that night - when a masked man shows up in her room and causes a curiosity that she just cannot shake, she takes her interest into her own hands and sets up to basically annoying the man into hanging out with her. You could tell that the banter was there on her side, but Creighton, our leading man of few words, would turn that banter itno a punish faster than Annika could shut her mouth.

Annika and Creighton are yapper4silent core - she does not shut up and he barely says a word - a match made in heaven. "Little violet," however, is one of the worst nicknames I have ever come across, and the fact that Creighton uses it basically every other sentence started to drive me insane. It was interesting to see the backstory on why Creighton does not speak so much, and the fact that other characters were so impressed that he actually would have conversation with Annika showed how much he cared about her. I do wish that he did not use silencing Annika as a way to get what he wanted from her - a majority of the time, it felt as though he knew he could do whatever he wanted with her by threatening her every single time she spoke.

The plot of this book... I will not lie, did not have me in a chokehold, or even a tight grip, to be honest. I tore through this book mostly because the chapters are so short and you can fly right through it like it is nothing, but other than that, I was not on the edge of my seat waiting to see what highs and lows would hit Annika and Creighton -- they seemed to do a pretty good job at rustling each other's feathers on their own. It felt as though every character was out to destroy their relationship - with the exception of a few, there was at least one point for everyone that made them not want Annika and Creighton to be together - it got old, fast.

I personally did not enjoy Annika's characterization - she felt a little all over the place. She would either be so rigid during one chapter, and then do whatever someone told her to do the next. While she did have some vulnerable moments that took her out of these polar opposites, I just could not connect to her character. When it came to Creighton, I was more so amused with the way he viewed himself as this mighty, controlling man, when in reality it was mostly a protective front as he worked to seek revenge for past events. The spicier scenes were not anything special, and it honestly felt a little recycled after the first couple times.

While this series shows promise, I wish I was able to lock into the story more and improve the rating from God of Malice - after over 500 pages, I should have felt some sort of connection to Creighton and Annika. Instead, I am viewing it as a stepping stone in the series as I continue on and see what relationship Kent has in store for us next. If you are looking for a fast-paced mildly forbidden romance, God of Pain could be your next read.

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Forbidden Obsession (Boneless Redemption Duet, #1) by Isabella Alexander Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

Guys... I have led myself astray once again after a download binge from a past Stuff Your Kindle Day. I do not even think I have the words to express how much this book was just simply... not a book. The idea of any type of plot was firmly thrown out of the window, and when you thought there was about to be at least a skeleton of structure in this book, it was abandoned in favor of some of the worst smut scenes I have laid my eyes on. The male and female leads were not likeable or enjoyable, and I spent the majority of the book begging for it to be over.

Penelope Cattaneo is a college student that has caught the eye of Dominic Lucas, an Italian professor with desire to dish out justice in place of continuing his family's torrid legacy and reign. The minute he laid his eyes on Penelope, she was the only thing he could focus on, and not for nothing, Penelope's life arguably became better and worse because of it. Penelope's traumatic past still has its claws in her, and with her current familial issues, the presence that Dominic brings into her life somehow becomes the only stable constant.

I literally felt like I was holding myself hostage while reading this book - I cannot bring myself to DNF a book, so I had to see it through, no matter how much interest I was losing in the story. The author attempts to make these intense plot devices seem shocking, but it is nothing to write home about, and I found myself more amused at the attempt than invested in these characters. I am not sure what else I could have expected from a book like this, but I was at least hoping for some more solid plot work, considering the mafia involvement.

The smut scenes were basically unbearable - the dialogue was ridiculous, and the descriptions felt as though they were pulled from Wattpad circa 2013, and not in the good way. Sure, some of the scenes have some actual meat to them, but for the most part, they fall flat or are utilized in an attempt to distract the reader from the lack of plot in the book. It is an incredibly short book, and yet it took me longer to finish it compared to a 400-page book. If you are looking for a quick, spicy read, Forbidden Obsession may be the filler you are looking for - I will probably read the final installment just to see how it ends.

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Stalked to the Altar (Caputo Crime Family, #1) by Selena Michaels Review

 

This is a spoiler-free review! Content warnings include graphic depictions of violence, sexual assault, childhood sexual assault, kidnapping, nonconsensual drug use, and murder.

The hate side of my love-hate relationship with my Stuff Your Kindle Day selection has come out in full force with this book. I truly do not even know where to begin - there was a lot of potential with the premise, and as a lover of dark and taboo romance, I was intrigued to see how this would play out in conjunction with the mafia aspect. Unfortunately, the plot is incredibly rushed and crammed into essentially less than two hundred pages that are full of assault. There was never a clear explanation until the very end of what the mafia component was in this book, and the book leaves you unsatisfied.

Eden is straight up being stalked by one of her professors, Silas, and yet she appears to be completed unfazed by his crazy self running around campus and watching her most intimate moments. Both Eden and Silas have the most insane personalities that constantly are doing 180 degree flips as if they are Olympic hopefuls. Every page felt like I was getting jostled around in an airplane - I could not tell if Eden hated Silas or loved him. It was obviously clear that he loved her, but the things he did to her were actually atrocious and well beyond what a dark romance typically includes. And this is coming from a fan of The Ritual by Shantel Tessier - I have seen it all and so much more.

We learn approximately three pieces of information about Eden and maybe two about Silas - their development is completely abandoned in favor of voyeuristic activities and a number of drugging and kidnappings over the course of what feels like twenty-four hours. She is basically ripped from the life that she knows - even though it does not seem like she is having a good time - and thrown into this random mafia situation that never truly gets explained by Silas. The author needed to dedicate more time to fleshing out her characters and provide supporting plot in order to make the story cohesive, instead it reads as a continuous thought that was thrown onto paper without an editor or revision.

It is rare that I do not have a positive to relay about a book, but there is not a single good thing that can come to mind. The "spicy" scenes all had this sinister aura surrounding them, and the multiple sexual assaults were not handled with care at all - the repercussions are abandoned and horrible actions are somehow rewarded. As an avid dark romance reader, I cannot get behind this book as falling into the genre.

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The Taker (Men of Malice, #1) by Mae Malone Review

This is a spoiler-free review! Please read trigger warnings - reader discretion is advised. A list of trigger warnings is available at the beginning of the novella.

After literally throwing himself in front of notorious mafia killer, Leo finds himself at Rocco's every beck and call. In order to continue to provide for his younger sisters, he is forced to take a job being Rocco's personal employee. I really enjoyed how we jumped right into the story - since this is a novella, I was hoping that there would not be too many chapters focusing on random things, and I was pleased to see that the author sends us right into the story with enough background information that sets the stage.

Leo goes through a number of conflicting feelings throughout this story, and the introduction of Rocco into his life as he takes care of his sisters has a number of effects on his safety and anxieties. We really take a deeper look into his psyche and how his mental health is affected by being thrust into life with a mafia man while trying to maintain a balance with normalcy surrounding his sisters. Essentially becoming Rocco's possession, Leo is exposed to so much more than he could have imagined - even with his father being involved in the past, Leo was never this close to the action.

Rocco becomes completely enamored with Leo when he does something drastic - and brave - without thinking. Once he set his sights on Leo, there was no way that Leo was going to escape him. With dual perspective chapters, it was a great way to see into Rocco's mind and his "psychotic" tendencies as he did everything in his power to have Leo all to himself. He basically sabotages everything in Leo's life in order to get him to do what he wants, and while that is a major red flag in real life, this is a dark mafia romance, and I would not expect anything else.

This novella is a piece of cake to read - if you are a quick reader like myself, this can easily be tackled in an hour or so. Once you pick it up, the pacing moves fast enough that you can finish it in one sitting, or take a quick break before continuing on. In all honestly, I would read this as a full-length book, since the characters are so intriguing, and I would love to see more of them in the future. From my understanding, this is the first in a series of interconnected standalone novellas, so I certainly will be waiting for the second installment.

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The Sweetest Oblivion (Made, #1) by Danielle Lori Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

Almost four years after I said I would read this book, I finally did it. Nico Russo is iconic in every sense of the word. He is absolutely psychotic in the best ways possible, and watching him invoke chaos because he was simply bored was a treat. This man is a COMEDIAN I literally was cackling at everything that came out of his mouth, and the pool scene, I died. He obviously has his flaws, but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing him go absolutely insane the more he interacted with Elena, and his perspective chapters were too funny.

Elena is riddled with following her family's expectations after a scandal, and when she is met with her younger sister's fiancé, let's just say that she is less than impressed, and yet more than intrigued when he begins to infiltrate her life at every turn. Her relationship with her sister is strong, yet they do have their secrets kept locked away for their own reasons. Adriana is unique in every sense of the word, and is the polar opposite of Elena, who is resigned and notorious for following her family's command. When an unexpected turn ends with Elena engaged to a man she soon thought to be her future brother-in-law, we are taken on quite the journey.

Nico's constant frustration with Elena as he attempts to figure her out as a person was a delight to read - you could literally feel his agitation that he could not pinpoint her and understand what happened to her in the past to cause such a scandal. I was literally kicking my feet at every single one of their interactions, and their tension was flying off the page. He was so possessive of Elena even when she was not his, and watching his jealously manifest as she spoke to other men he had beef with felt like the perfect set up for him and Elena.

I loved that this book actually included mafia plot lines instead of just referencing that the families were important mafia families - the action really tied the story together, and the danger definitely upped the ante when it came to Nico being protective of Elena. The little touches of him watching her and everyone noticing was the perfect addition to add to his character - even when they would only speak in quick passings, you could tell that he wanted her from the beginning.

The side characters provided a lot of opportunity for both Elena and Nico to have plot lines outside of their developing relationship, and I was glad to see that they were able to learn things on their own and through trial and error. The infatuation they have with each other went so much deeper than either of them expected, and I loved how they were able to communicate (most of the time) and garner an understanding, rather than constantly fight with one another. That being said, their banter was fantastic, and even with their miscommunications, they were a pretty solid couple throughout their development.

For fans of When it Raynes by Montana Fyre, this is the book for you. Filled with familial conflict, mafia drama, and unexpected relationships, The Sweetest Oblivion will have the reader dying for more of Elena and Nico at every turn of the page. I honestly wish this book was longer, I would have loved to see even more of their relationship and how they fit in with joining the Abelli and Russo families.

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